


Birds of a Feather

by PerfectLittleLady



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Bird AU, Bird sanctuary, Birds, My First Fanfic, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, literally no one asked for this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-03-10 00:45:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18927862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerfectLittleLady/pseuds/PerfectLittleLady
Summary: The first rays of sunlight were just beginning to peek through the window shudders when Patton finally stirred from his slumber. Well, that was odd. Wasn’t he supposed to be awake before sunrise? He must have slept through the alarm Thomas set last night. Then again, it took him so long to get to sleep, it was not that much of a shock. The poor thing couldn’t help it, he was so excited! Today was the day! The big day! The day they’d both been dreaming of for years!-AKA the Bird Sanctuary AU that literally no one asked for! Be gentle with me, this is my first fic!





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this idea stewing in my head for a little while, and I finally got around to starting it. Enjoy!

# Prologue

The first rays of sunlight were just beginning to peek through the window shudders when Patton finally stirred from his slumber. Well, that was odd. Wasn’t he supposed to be awake before sunrise? He must have slept through the alarm Thomas set last night. Then again, it took him so long to get to sleep, it was not that much of a shock. The poor thing couldn’t help it, he was so excited! Today was the day! The big day! The day they’d both been dreaming of for years!

As he yawned and stretched, the sound of running water got his attention, and he turned to face the bathroom door. Thomas must have already started getting ready. What a sweetheart, letting Patton get some extra sleep. Except now, he was restless, and could barely contain himself as he heard the faucet being turned and the water stop.

A moment later, the door opened, and the brunette stepped out, already dressed in his uniform: Khaki pants and a forest green polo. The left breast of the shirt proudly displayed a name tag, the name “THOMAS” stamped clearly on the silver plate, and underneath, in smaller lettering, was the word “OWNER”.

It was almost surreal. Thomas had spent his whole life working at his family’s bird sanctuary. His grandfather founded it way back in the 60’s, and it had been tradition for every member of the family to help out in some way. Thomas himself spent nearly every free moment of his childhood there. If he wasn’t at school or studying, he was helping care for his favorite feathered friends.While most eventually moved on to their own callings, Thomas would never find anything more magical than watching a bird in flight. Years of schooling and a degree in Ornithology later, here he was, starting his first day as the official owner of the Sanders Avian Sanctuary.

While his grandfather’s retirement was bittersweet, the man had nothing but confidence that the youngest member of the Sanders family would be a most excellent replacement. Thomas, on the other hand, hoped he could one day come close to filling his grandfather’s shoes. Patton had no doubt his best friend would exceed all expectations. He’d been with Thomas for years, and watched him grow from a nervous and stressed biology student to a strong and confident adult who was about to make him so gosh darn proud!

After brushing out his hair one last time and lacing up his work boots, Thomas turned to Patton with a grin. “Today is the day, buddy!” He stood and walked over to his dearest friend. “I know, I shouldn’t be nervous, I’ve been working for this for years, but I can’t help it!” Crouching down to be at eye-level, his smile never waivered. “At least I’ll have you there to help me every step of the way, right?”

A hand reached forward and lifted the door to the cage, while the other hand hovered just outside, finger outstretched. The little blue parakeet chirped happily, fluttering onto his favorite perch with zero hesitation. Oh yes, Patton was sure this was going to be the absolute best day ever!


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The budgie was grateful for the perch, as it meant he wouldn't be confined to a cage, or have to balance on his human’s shoulder all the time. He decided earlier that the left one would be his usual perch, as that was Thomas’s dominant hand and, therefore, the one most likely to give rubs and pets. The right one would be reserved for visiting friends and those needing extra attention, though he would concede his own under special circumstances. The food and water bowls attached to it were filled, and his feathers were even and clean. All ready for the day! Thomas, on the other wing, was not.
> 
> -A few people expressed interest, so I figured why not?

# Chapter 1

‘Aaaaannndd…..there!’

 

Patton shook himself out, having just finished preening his feathers, and looked out at the office from his perch on the desk. It wasn’t much, a small room with a single window, so full of overflowing bookshelves that there was barely room for the few pieces of furniture. To be fair, though, the old wooden desk was much bigger than it should have been. Thomas’s grandfather had chosen it long before he realized how small his office would actually be. Instead of seeing it as a problem, the man decided to laugh about it, stating that a bigger desk just meant he could have two perches instead of one. 

 

The budgie was grateful for the perch, as it meant he wouldn't be confined to a cage, or have to balance on his human’s shoulder all the time. He decided earlier that the left one would be his usual perch, as that was Thomas’s dominant hand and, therefore, the one most likely to give rubs and pets. The right one would be reserved for visiting friends and those needing extra attention, though he would concede his own under special circumstances. The food and water bowls attached to it were filled, and his feathers were even and clean. All ready for the day! Thomas, on the other wing, was not. 

 

Muttering every step of the way, Thomas struggled to move a box of heavy textbooks onto one of the shelves, then busied himself with organizing them into the existing mish-mosh of journals and albums. “Seriously, Grandpa, your system is terrible…” With a sigh, he simply slid them into place, vowing to categorize and alphabetize later. For now, he just wanted to bask in the glow of his new office. 

 

He rounded the desk and looked down at his chair. There used to be one to match the dark wood of the rest of the furniture, but Grandpa had spent so much time in it, it wore down, until it collapsed from under him. Grandma was helping him pick out splinters from where the sun don’t shine for days, and no one ever let him forget about it. It was shortly replaced with a metal folding chair, Grandpa too busy to go out and choose a new one, but that Christmas everyone chipped in and bought the old man a high-end rolling office chair, complete with armrests, headrest, and memory foam cushioning. For a full week, he rolled everywhere in it. 

 

Thomas laughed at the memory, and ran his hand over the back of the chair in silent reverence. This was it. All those years spent playing with the finches and owls and hawks and hens, all that time in university, all those nights hoping and wishing, it all came down to this. He glanced at the little blue budgie on the desk, who hopped and chirped excitedly. ‘Go on! Sit!’

 

Taking the hint, the young man pulled the chair out, held his breath, and carefully sat down. He’d only ever been in the chair when he was sitting on his Grandfather’s lap. He always felt so big and powerful with the old man, who would point out the things he was doing on his desk, would let the child reach out and touch whoever was currently perched there, would refer to him as ‘Doctor Thomas’ when discussing a rehab case. Sitting alone, in the large chair, behind the huge desk, beside his little blue parakeet, Thomas just felt small….

 

….And uncomfortable. Was this chair always so stiff?

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

The moment the door was opened, Patton was off, flying at full speed to his favorite section of the aviary. Luckily Joan was just finishing their morning rounds, and held the gate open for the parakeet to fly in. “Don’t get into too much trouble, Patton!” they called, closing the gate before walking away. 

 

The sounds of birds chirping and squawking filled the air, the warm summer sun shining in through the top of the screened-in enclosure. This was the largest enclosure on the property, housing most of, if not all, the relatively-harmless residents. None of the birds in here were particularly predatory, the biggest prey being large grasshoppers and the odd lizard, so the little blue budgie was safe in here. 

 

Patton greeted everyone he passed with a happy chirp. They all knew him, as Thomas had been bringing his beloved pet to the sanctuary for years. Patton would often help new patients and residents get settled, his happy nature and small size ideal for making even the most nervous of birds more comfortable. 

 

It didn’t take long for him to spot who he was looking for, not that his brilliant plumage was hard to miss. ‘Roman!’ he chirped, landing on a twig beside the peacock. The exotic bird turned to face his little friend, and honked happily upon seeing him. ‘Patton! My sweet little songbird! How are you this morning?’ 

 

‘Amazing! Thomas just got all settled in his new office! You should see him, he looks so grown up!’

 

Roman chuckled. They all knew about the change in leadership, and were excited to hear the new owner would be someone so close to them. 

 

‘He certainly has grown, hasn’t he?’

 

‘Uh-huh! It seems like just yesterday he was watching cartoons in his owl pajamas!’

 

‘Um…’ Roman tilted his head. ‘That  _ was _ yesterday, wasn’t it?’

 

Patton sobbed softly.  _ ‘They grow up so fast…’ _

 

The peacock rolled his eyes, and returned his attention to the mirror he’d been looking into. There were a few of them scattered in different areas, along with various other enrichment items for the birds to keep their minds engaged and have fun, but the big mirror on the far end was by far Roman’s favorite. He loved watching the way his silky white feathers glistened in the sun, the way the light caught the patches of gold and reddish-brown. Thomas would often comment about how the darker feathers looked like a ‘sash’, whatever that was. As long as he looked beautiful and regal, that's all that mattered. He used his beak to scratch out a loose feather on his neck, used a wing to adjust the crown of gold feathers on his head, and stood proudly. 

 

‘Well? What do you think, Little Blue?’

 

Patton looked at his friend, both the real one and the reflected image, and trilled happily. ‘You look incredible! When Thomas sees you, he’s going to be over the moon!’

 

Roman shook himself out. ‘Oh, I’m planning on it! Especially when I show him the big finale!’ At that, his long tail feathers lifted slightly, hinting at what he meant. 

 

The parakeet nearly vibrated, unable to contain himself. Roman had arrived a year or so prior. He was highly coveted for his unique coloring, and sold not long after displaying it. Being an exotic bird, his sale was illegal, and due to this, Roman never truly received proper care growing up. By the time the authorities got involved, the poor peacock was sick, molting, and missing nearly all of his beautiful tail feathers. Thomas and his grandfather had spent days with him, until he was strong enough to walk on his own, and they’d formed a strong bond. Since he was still illegal to own, Roman would stay at the sanctuary forever, though he wasn’t too upset about that. 

 

No matter what the staff did, however, the peacock refused to show his tail. It was starting to worry everyone, including Patton, until Roman revealed the reason. He was saving it’s grand debut for this, the day Thomas took the reigns, and planned on showing him first as a sign of gratitude for everything the human had done for him, and a way of bidding him good luck on this new chapter of his life.

 

He turned his attention back to the smaller bird. ‘You’re looking like a treat yourself! Looks like someone took some extra time preening this morning!’

 

Patton puffed proudly and looked at himself in the mirror. His blue coloring, which extended across most of his body, was as vibrant as ever. Salt-and-pepper (Thomas called it ‘cookies and cream) feathers covered his back and wings, and crept around his neck, separating the blue of his body from the white of his head, and a few darker feathers surrounded his eyes. The humans would fawn over those the most, saying they made him look like he was wearing little glasses. 

 

With a happy chirp, he turned back to Roman. ‘Gotta look my best for my best boy!’ He began to look around again. ‘By the way, have you seen Logan today? He was looking forward to this, too! I don’t want him to miss it!’

 

The peacock huffed and went back to adjusting himself in the mirror. ‘Blue Brains probably couldn't decide on what  _ worms  _ to present to Thomas.’ He shuddered at the thought of eating the dirty, slimy vermin. ‘Honestly, wild birds can be so disgusting!’

 

‘I heard that,’ came a voice from above. Both birds looked up to see Logan, the blue jay, hopping down branch by branch.

 

Roman shrugged. ‘Good, that means I won’t have to repeat it.’ He tilted his head, the crown feathers shaking slightly. ‘And what took you so long?’

 

The jay finally landed beside Patton, who happily rubbed against him. While Logan wasn’t much for touching, he’d learned to pick his battles. ‘Hopping is not exactly the most efficient way of getting around, though it has proven to be the safest, given my circumstances. I simply miscalculated the distance from my nightly perch to the large mirror.’

 

The parakeet nodded, completely understanding. Logan had been brought in three time prior to this, always with the same story. A human would be minding their own business when they heard a thunk, followed by a blue jay falling nearby. They would bring him to the sanctuary to be treated for minor injuries, whereupon he would be released back into the wild. The fourth time, however, the staff decided it was time to intervene. After some tests and trials, they determined the bird was lacking depth perception, and decided it would be best to keep him there. At least if he crashed into anything, they could quickly get to him. 

 

Since then, the dark blue bird had learned that hopping from branch to branch was much safer than flying, and easier to do in this controlled environment. He wasn’t too fond of the humans coming near him, but Thomas seemed to have the most success getting hold of him and keeping him calm. Logan argued it was simply because he had the softest grip, but the others knew the young man had managed to win over the stubborn wild bird.

 

Roman scoffed before leaning over to adjust a few feathers on the blue jay. ‘You couldn’t even preen yourself? This is Thomas’s big day!’

 

Logan let out an offended chirp, hopping to the side to avoid the incoming beak. ‘I look the same as I always do. Besides, it is his day, not mine. The way I look is inconsequential to how the day will go.’

 

Patton chuckled, then turned to the gate when he heard the lock being opened. ‘He’s here!’ The parakeet took flight, aiming to land on his friend’s shoulder. Behind him, the blue jay hopped to another branch, then another, until he had a good view of the situation, and the peacock shook himself out one last time for good measure. 

 

‘Alright, everyone, stand back! This is going to be a show he won’t soon forget!’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Please let me know if you like it! If there's interest, I'll be spurred on to continue this fic! It's a simple AU with mostly fluff. I have plans for a bit of action, angst, and of course plenty of platonic CALM(D). Hit me up on Tumblr at [perfectlittlelady](https://perfectlittlelady.tumblr.com/) and let me know how I'm doing!


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who is that strange bird?

# Chapter 2

 

Roman folded his tail back up and allowed it to fall behind him. The display hadn’t gone quite as planned, what with the few feathers he’d lost while shaking them out, but judging by the awestruck look on Thomas’s face, it was an overall success. Besides, the human seemed thrilled to be able to take those feathers back to his office. 

 

‘That was incredible!!’

 

Excited chirps emanated from a nearby branch, and he turned to see Patton and Logan. The parakeet fluttered his wings, while the blue jay hopped closer. 

 

‘That display was a bit frivolous, but I will admit, it was quite beautiful.’ Logan could at least appreciate the effort, being that they were both from species that had colorful males. His own dark blue feathers weren’t as extravagant, but, had his vision been better, he would have had his choice of mates back home. 

 

Roman puffed his feathers in pride. ‘Well, of course it was! This is me we’re talking about!’

 

With a chirp, Patton flew over and landed on the peacock’s back. ‘Careful, Roman! Wouldn’t want you getting too... _ cocky.’  _

 

Logan groaned and covered his head with his wing, while Roman honked a hearty laugh. A high-pitched chittering interrupted them, though, and the three looked up. 

 

Sticking out from a coconut, suspended nearly eight feet off the ground and held by a cord from the ceiling, was a very small owl head. He didn’t seem pleased, but then again, he never did, especially during the day. 

 

‘Roman, babe, you know I love you and your dying trumpet of a call, but we have had this conversation more than twice.’

 

Patton didn’t hesitate to fly up to the tiny house and face the little elf owl. ‘Sorry, Remy! But did you see him? His tail was taller than Thomas! And it was so shiny and pretty and-’

 

‘Yes, I saw, how could I miss it. Girl, you gotta warn us when you’re about to debut feathers that shiny, I thought the sun was at my door.’ 

 

Below, the peacock almost glowed with pride, and the jay rolled his eyes, hopping up a few branches. ‘We do apologize for the disturbance. We will try not to disturb your sleep again.’

 

Remy nodded and retreated back into his coconut to continue his beauty rest, and Patton returned to his friends. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Virgil stared at the bowl of fruit on the ground, his eyes intense and determined. Normally, it was just out of reach, but today, luck was on his side. Today, someone had placed it just a  _ little too close  _ to the wall of latticed metal. The fools. This was his perfect chance to get an easy and  _ delicious  _ meal. 

 

The crow had spent most of the morning searching, wanting to find the perfect stick for the task. It had to be thin enough to be held easily, but strong enough to pierce the sweet treats. When the perfect tool was selected, he returned to the aviary, walked to the side of the enclosure, and got to work. 

 

The bowl was closer, sure, but only slightly, meaning there would be a lot of struggling before any reward could be enjoyed. Virgil knew it would be worth it, though. Fruit that big and juicy was hard to come by in the wild. 

 

The bars of the enclosure shook slightly, but he recognized it as a very small bird landing on the bars. Probably a sparrow. They were always curious about what he was doing. No matter, the crow was much too focused on his task to pay it much attention. 

 

‘Whatcha doin’?’

 

The voice was bright and happy, and sounded at least three feet above him. Definitely a sparrow. ‘Stealing.’

 

‘Why?’

 

‘Because I’m hungry.’

 

The stick wiggled around before pressing firmly against a chunk of cantaloupe. Virgil pressed, but the tip slid off. He let out a quiet noise of frustration and tried again. 

 

‘You know,’ his spectator spoke again, ‘the humans always put out some food on the other side of the building?’

 

The crow grunted as his next attempt failed. ‘I’m not interested in millet. They always put the good stuff inside.’

 

Finally, after much struggling, the tip of the stick pierced the chunk of melon. Virgil pulled, and soon was rewarded for his hard work. 

 

‘See? I knew I could…’ He began to speak, but trailed off as he turned to look at the other bird. First, he noticed that the other was not a little brown sparrow, but a bright blue and white... _ what is that? _ It didn’t matter much, as the next thing he noticed was even more alarming. 

 

That bird was inside the enclosure. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Patton had been doing his usual rounds when he noticed the strange bird by the fence. It wasn’t uncommon for wild birds to visit, but they were usually speaking to a friend or just chatting with another resident about this and that. This one was...actually what was he doing?

 

Ever curious, the budgie flew to the gate and used his feet to grasp at the thin wire. He hung sideways off the fence, and looked down at the large crow. They were relatively common in these parts, but they normally stayed away. This one had a stick, and was using it to poke at the bowl of fruit salad on the ground. 

 

‘Whatcha doin’?’ He tilted his head inquisitively. 

 

‘Stealing.’ The voice was rough, not unexpected from a crow. Their calls were equally as coarse and jarring. 

 

‘Why?’

 

‘Because I’m hungry.’

 

That answer perplexed him. Didn’t Thomas make sure there was plenty of seed mix for the local wild birds? ‘You know, the humans always put out some food on the other side of the building?’

 

Whatever he was doing with the stick still wasn’t working, but the black bird seemed to keep his patience. ‘I’m not interested in millet. They always put the good stuff inside.’

 

Perhaps Patton could somehow tell Thomas to put some fruit out as well. He watched as the crow tried again and again, until finally, he stabbed the chunk, pulling back through the bars. It was endearing, watching the other bird almost swell with pride, his black feathers glistening in the sun. When the light hit them, they shimmered almost a deep purple. How beautiful.

 

‘See?’ The other turned to look up at him. ‘I knew I could…’ He stopped talking, and stared up at the parakeet. Patton again tilted his head in confusion. Had he said something wrong? Before anything could be said, though, the crow reacted, cawing loudly and scrambling to fly away from him. In the blink of an eye, he was gone, disappearing into the thick trees behind the sanctuary. 

 

For a moment, Patton kept his eye on the leaves and branches. The wild bird left his meal on the ground. And he had worked so hard to get that! The budgie would definitely be in the kitchen next feeding, and would try to get the humans to put out more than seeds.

 

“Patton? Where’d ya go, buddy?”

 

The voice of his human caught his attention, and Patton flew to where he was waiting near the gate. Thomas stroked the feathers of his chest when he landed on his shoulder, and as he turned to leave the enclosure, the little bird looked back over at the spot where the cantaloupe was…

 

...Except it wasn’t there anymore. The fruit was gone. Once more, his head tilted. 

 

_ What a strange bird... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has more than 100 hits and almost 20 kudos. I'm screaming. I'm so glad there are people who are enjoying this silly AU.
> 
> Also, in case it wasn't clear, "This is spoken by humans" while 'This is spoken by birds'. Humans can not understand what birds say, but in this AU Thomas gets pretty close.
> 
> Keep letting me know what you think of this!

**Author's Note:**

> What do you think? Please let me know if you like it! If there's interest, I'll be spurred on to continue this fic! It's a simple AU with mostly fluff. I have plans for a bit of action, angst, and of course plenty of platonic CALM(D). Hit me up on Tumblr at [perfectlittlelady](https://perfectlittlelady.tumblr.com/) and let me know how I'm doing!


End file.
